Unhappy Birthday
by Sunnydale107
Summary: Sequel to Dangerous Type. Candace's 17th birthday arrives but she doesn't want to celebrate. Derek wants to know why as he struggles with his feelings for her. Casey and Emily unknowingly throw a surprise party. And, there's a new bad guy in town. DONE!
1. Sixteen Going On Seventeen

Disclaimer: You know I don't own any of the Life With Derek or Buffy characters. Nor do I own any of the pop culture references made. All I own is the character of Candace.

* * *

People whispered and directed their looks towards her as she walked down the hall to her locker. She was trying to ignore it. But, this was high school and people made a big deal out of the smallest thing. Alright, so her secret wasn't such a small thing. Only a handful of people knew about that, though. So, what was with all the attention?

Candace Farrell reached her locker and turned the combination. As she started to take out her books, a friend came up beside her. It was Emily Davis. "Hey, Candace. How's it going?" Emily asked.

"It could be going better if people would stop staring at me and whispering." Candace closed her locker. "I don't get it. I only have one bruise and it's on my arm and my sleeve is covering it up. They keep looking at me like I have three heads. I don't have three heads, do I?"

Emily giggled. "No. I can assure you that you don't have three heads."

"Then, what is it?" The shorter girl asked.

"You're popular." The other girl replied. "You're one of the coolest girls in school."

"What?" Her jaw dropped. "I can't be popular. I despise popular people. And, I have to hide my secret. Popularity is only going to make that harder. Why am I popular? I didn't do anything special. I'm just me."

"You really don't get why you're popular?" Emily shook her head. "That's why you're popular." She pointed towards a guy with brown hair and brown eyes. He was wearing a leather jacket and was grinning as he walked down the hall and gave people high fives. "Derek Venturi. Your best friend. He's always been the most popular guy around here. Anyone seen spending as much time with him as you do automatically becomes popular."

"So that must explain all the hate e-mails I've been getting from Kendra."

"Rumor has it that you may take her place as most popular girl in the school."

"Lucky me." Candace inhaled deeply as Derek approached them.

"Hello ladies." Derek grinned from ear to ear. Both girls practically melted. Candace more so on the inside. She still liked him a lot. But, fear kept her from a relationship with him. Emily on the other hand, let her melting be more visible. She was only attracted to his looks though. She had a boyfriend.

"Hey Derek." Emily snapped out of her little world. "Have you seen Casey? We were supposed to meet ten minutes ago. It's not like Casey to be late."

"It is if she's in the library making out with Andrew." Candace pointed out. Then, she closed her eyes. "Why did I have to put that visual in my own head?" Her eyes opened again.

"Casey is running a little late today." Derek shrugged like it was nothing.

"What did you do to her?" Candace looked at him. Suddenly, Casey came fumbling down the hall. Her hair was a mess, she was wearing no make up and apparently she was wearing one of Andrew's old t-shirts.

"Come on, Em." Casey spat as she walked past the three. "Keep up. We've got to get this thing done."

"Right." Emily shrugged and followed her best friend.

"Want me to join you guys?" Candace asked.

"Uh, no." Emily shook her head. "It's just a boring French project and since you don't know much French, you'd probably get lost." She caught up to Casey, feeling kind of bad for leaving the slayer out. But, they weren't really going to work on a French project. Casey and Emily were planning a surprise birthday party for Candace. They had decided to leave Derek out of it because he could not be trusted when it came to parties. He would invite the whole school if he had the chance.

"Set her clocks back again?" Candace raised an eyebrow at Derek.

"You would appreciate it more if you were actually there when it happened." He smirked. "So, it's your birthday this Saturday."

"I am well aware of when my birthday is. It's on the same day every year."

"So, what do you want?" He leaned against a locker.

"I'm really not big on the whole birthday thing." She replied. "Just a card will do."

"Come on." Derek pleaded. "You must want more than that. You're going to be seventeen."

"I'm not going to break out into that stupid song from the Sound of Music." Candace spat. "Just let things be. I don't want to celebrate my birthday with anything big. I just want a quiet night to myself." She stormed off.

_That's odd. Who doesn't enjoy celebrating birthdays? I mean, there are presents and cake and food galore. Maybe, Andrew knows what's up. I guess I'll have to go pay him a visit later. I'm going to lose more rep points by going into that library. But, for Candace, I'll do anything._ Derek shrugged as he walked to his English class.


	2. Good Advice

When the lunch bell rang, Derek ran out of class. He had to get to the library before anyone actually saw him. Pushing through the doors, he saw Andrew standing there in his tweed suit, disheveled hair and a cup of coffee in his hand. It looked like he was skimming through one of his demon books. Looking up from his book, he was surprised. "Derek?" He looked at his watch. "You do know that it's only lunch time?"

Derek gave him a look that said back off. "I have to ask you about something."

"You're not coming down with a case of lycanthropy, are you?" The watcher questioned.

"What?"

"Werewolf." The librarian pointed out.

Shaking his head, Derek replied, "No. I have to ask you something about Candace."

"Look, I know you've really fallen for her in the past month but when she sets her mind onto something, well, she's stubborn."

"It's not about that." Derek said. "Isn't it her birthday on Saturday?" Andrew nodded. "Well, she said she doesn't want to celebrate. She wouldn't give me a complete answer and you know how my questions can sometimes push her buttons. So, I figured you'd know the answer."

"For as long as I've known her, Candace doesn't do the big celebration." Andrew explained. "I guess it has to do with her past. She's the only child. Her parents used to give her everything she wanted for her birthday. She had fun celebrations with her friends and family. Once she lost her parents, she gave up on that tradition because she felt that if she couldn't have her parents be with her on her birthday then it wasn't worth it. Parties just remind her of what she used to have."

"That's really sad." Derek sighed. "But, I want to do something nice for her."

"The best thing you can do is respect her wishes." Andrew informed. "Plus, slayers and birthday parties don't usually go well together. Just ask Buffy. On her seventeenth birthday, she slept with Angel and then he lost his soul and things went very wrong." He quickly shut himself up. "You will not try to sleep with my slayer on her seventeenth birthday."

"She won't even let me hold her hand." The teenager sighed. "What can I do for her?"

"Invite her over to watch some movies." Andrew replied. "You know how she loves movies. She doesn't mind doing little things like that on her birthday because they actually make her forget about it."

Derek grinned. He was thinking of a plan. "Maybe, if I could get everyone out of the house…"

"Don't push it with her." Andrew looked at the teenager in front of him. "She'll know if you set it up as a date and then she'll kick your ass."

"So, no Notebook, then?" Derek shrugged.

"No Notebook." Andrew nodded.

"Ok, thanks." Derek was about to leave when he stopped. "She told me she was going to talk to you about the whole Dru thing but I get this feeling like she didn't."

"What do you mean?"

"You know? Dru was the one who turned her parents."

"I knew that but I didn't think she knew." Andrew sputtered.

"You may want to talk to her about it." Derek left the library.


	3. Sam, Stuck in the Middle

A/N: I felt bad that Sam wasn't in my last fic so I stuck him in here. He may actually play an important part later on.

* * *

Stepping into the cafeteria, Candace noticed that Emily and Casey had made a barricade out of books that surrounded them. "Some intense project." She muttered and looked for Derek at their regular table. He wasn't there. Sam was there. Sam was Derek's best friend. Candace had only talked to him at lunch. He seemed like a nice guy. She figured, she could sit with him and eventually Derek would show. She hated making small talk but sometimes you've just got to do things.

Taking a seat next to Sam, Candace pulled a bottle of water out of her messenger bag. "Hey Sam." She asked the blonde guy next to her.

"Hey." He nodded.

_Great. This is why Derek likes him so much. He doesn't talk much and Derek can get all the words in he wants._ She sighed. "So, do you know where Derek is?"

"Nope." Sam shook his head.

Looking over at Casey and Emily, she frowned. She wished she could be sitting with them but they were still working on that French project. "What's up with them? It's like their French project is top secret or something." She motioned towards her friends.

"I learned to not ask Casey questions." He replied. "Just let her do all the talking. But, I think that's why we broke up."

"You and Casey dated?" Candace questioned. "No one ever told me that."

"I think Derek wants to erase that from his mind."

"Derek erases a lot from his mind. I think the only thing he stores in there is hockey stuff and girl's phone numbers."

"Lately, it's only been one girl's phone number." Sam looked at her. "He's only been talking about one girl all month. That's unusual for him."

"Miss me?" Derek shoved his way between Candace and Sam and sat down.

"Excuse you." Candace glared at him. "You just butted into our conversation."

"Don't let me stop your conversation." Derek took a bite of his sandwich. "Carry on."

"We can't with you here." Sam pointed out.

"Why's that?" The darker haired boy asked.

"We were talking shit about you behind your back." Candace said sarcastically. "We can't do that while you're here."

"Hey, if you don't be nice to me then I won't get you anything for your birthday." Derek looked at her.

"Don't worry." Candace stood up. "I don't want anything." She walked away.

"Smooth, man." Sam nodded and looked at his friend.

"What?" Derek asked between bites.

"Remember how you said you wanted me to talk to her to see if she likes you back?" Derek just nodded in reply to the question. "Well, I was going to do that. But, you just came in and planked your butt down between us."

"Well, a guy's gotta eat." The other student said. "Plus, I know she likes me back. I'm Derek Venturi. I just want to know when she will accept the fact that we're meant to be together."

"Now I see why she gets so mad with you." Sam nodded with a sigh. The bell rang to get to class and everyone bustled out of the cafeteria.


	4. Fear and a Surprise Visitor

Disclaimer: There's a new character in this chapter. I don't own him! I'm not going to say who it is up here. You have to read the chapter to find out. But, you may have heard of him.

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It was now four o'clock in the afternoon and it was raining cats and dogs. Candace was supposed to be training in the back room of the library. But, Andrew was not there. He was giving Casey and Emily a ride home. Derek was stuck in detention but he would soon be out. Candace let out a sigh as she cranked her Ipod up and lay down on the cold library floor. Using her jacket as a pillow, she closed her eyes and just let herself get lost in the music.

Five minutes later, the doors swung open. Candace did not hear or see this happen. She did not even know she had company until she opened her eyes and saw familiar feet on either side of her. Looking up, she saw Derek smiling down at her. "Still pissed at me?" He asked. She didn't hear him. She just stuck her hand up in the air for him to take it. Pulling her up, he removed the headphones from her ears. "I asked if you were still pissed at me."

"That depends on if you're done being a jackass or not." She smiled slightly. "You know I can't stay mad at you." She turned the Ipod off. "So, how was detention?" Sitting on one of the tables, her feet dangled off the floor.

"Boring as hell." Derek shrugged and sat next to her.

"I don't get that expression." She gave him a lopsided look. "I think hell is probably an exciting place. I mean, with the torture and demons and such."

"So, I talked to Andrew this afternoon." He diverted his eyes from her. "He told me why you don't like to celebrate your birthday."

"Why did you do that?" The slayer asked. "You should have asked me."

"I wanted to know and you were not going to tell me if I did ask you."

"But, you now understand why I don't want to have a party or anything, right?"

Derek nodded. "But, Andrew said that you may like to just come over and watch movies on that day. That way you can just forget that it's even your birthday."

Candace looked at him. "I'd like that on one condition."

"And, what is that?" He gave her a quizzical look.

"I get to pick the movies." She grinned.

"Fine, but no chick flicks and no Brokeback Mountain."

She rolled her eyes. "Ok. It's a deal." Her cell phone rang. Flipping it open, she spoke. "Hello?" It was Andrew. "Yes, Andrew, I'm working up a sweat here in training." She lied. "Ok, I'll start on patrol now… I'll bring Derek with me… Yep, I'm going right now… Bye." She hung up.

"So, we're going on patrol?" Derek inquired. "In the rain?"

"Yep." Candace stood up. "Apparently, Andrew got stuck playing dress-up with Marti and now she won't let him leave."

"Marti loves to make guys look like women." Derek shook his head as he stood up. "I should know. She does it to me all the time."

Candace smiled as she put on her jacket and exited the library. "Now, I'm trying to picture who would be the prettier girl. You or Andrew?"

"Don't tell anyone I told you that." He shrugged. "And, I am so much prettier than Andrew."

"I never thought I'd hear those words come out of your mouth." They pushed the doors open and walked into the cold October rain.

"Of course, neither one of us is as beautiful as you are." Derek gave her a smug grin.

Candace ignored him. For weeks she would fight with him over every compliment he gave her. He was trying to flatter her and it worked. But, she didn't want him to know that. Instead, she figured ignoring him would avoid arguments and talking about getting involved in a relationship. "You have any weapons?" She looked up at him, through the rain. Of course, he didn't. Derek doesn't prepare for anything. He just goes with the flow. He shook his head. Pulling a stake out of her bag, she handed it to him. "I hope we don't have to use these. I hate getting caught in the rain and having to fight all soggy." Her clothes were starting to cling to her body. He had never noticed her curves before. That was probably because she always wore t-shirts and jeans. He was staring at her now. "I have this feeling that I'm talking but no one is listening to me." She waved her hand in front of his face.

"What?" Derek sputtered. "No. Yes. I don't know."

"Exactly." She nodded as they approached the cemetery gates. "I hate that I feel so comfortable in here." _This is why I could never get a real date back in Boston. I had to spend all my time in the cemetery. People saw me there sometimes. That's how I became the social outcast. Not that I was all that popular to begin with. But, now? I'm popular. Why? Because of him. _Pushing open the gates, she practically jumped out of her skin and ran to hide behind Derek. There was actually something before her that she was afraid of.

"What's the matter with you?" Derek looked behind him.

"Those." She pointed past him to a flock of geese that were grazing on the grass in the cemetery.

"The geese?" He asked.

"Yeah, they're like freaking monsters with beaks and wings and webbed feet!" She gripped the back of his leather jacket. "I'm not going in there until they fly away."

Derek couldn't help himself. He just burst out laughing. "You're a vampire slayer. You fight monsters on a daily basis and you're afraid of a few geese?"

Candace shoved him. "It's not funny! I was attacked by a goose when I was little and I've had a terrible goose fear ever since."

Getting his composure, he shook his wet hair. "Want me to go chase them off?"

"Are you freaking stupid?" She pushed her sopping hair out of her eyes. "They'll attack you!"

"Well, I'm not going to stand around in the rain to wait for some stupid geese to fly away."

Candace noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning to face it, she said, "You may not have to."

Parked in front of a monstrosity of a house was a moving truck. Two men were moving large crates out of the back of the truck. "Who moves when it's dark and raining?" Derek asked, directing his attention towards the scene.

"More like what." She spotted some dirt leak out from the bottom of one of the crates. "No way. It can't be. I knew he was real. I mean, Buffy had a show down with him but now he's here. What would he want here?"

"Care to tell me what you're rambling on about?" Derek asked.

Suddenly, a hand pushed through the wood of the crate and grabbed the mover by the neck. "Dracula." Candace ran towards the mover.

"Dracula?" He ran after her. "As in the count? The guy from Transylvania? The one that some old, dead guy wrote about?"

The mover collapsed to the ground. His companion ran off down the street. The crate burst open just as Candace and Derek reached the scene. Looking up, there he was, standing in front of them in all of his glory. Dark penetrating eyes, long dark hair, kind of sexy in that I-could-kill-you kind of way. "I am Count Dracula." He said in a thick Romanian accent. "And, you must be, Candace Farrell, the vampire slayer."


	5. Pushed By Emotions

Just to warn that this chapter may be pushing the teen rating a bit. Nothing too explicit but it does push the envelope. I may change the rating to M if I need to.

* * *

Recap:

The mover collapsed to the ground. His companion ran off down the street. The crate burst open just as Candace and Derek reached the scene. Looking up, there he was, standing in front of them in all of his glory. Dark penetrating eyes, long dark hair, kind of sexy in that I-could-kill-you kind of way. "I am Count Dracula." He said in a thick Romanian accent. "And, you must be, Candace Farrell, the vampire slayer."

* * *

The only words that Candace managed to get out of her mouth were, "Holy crap!"

"He can't be the real thing." Derek lifted an eyebrow. "That accent is so Sesame Street. Do you love to count?"

Candace jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow. "He's Dracula." She stared at the pale figure in front of them. "You know who I am?"

"Of all the slayers in this world, there are only three of you I would bother coming in contact with." The vampire looked down at the short slayer in front of him. "I have already had my run-in with Buffy Summers and I met Faith Lehane a year and a half ago. Now, I've come to see you."

"Why me?" The girl questioned. "And, don't give me any of that prophecy, destiny crap. I've read up on the prophecies." _Probably shouldn't have said that in front of Derek since he is part of them._

"You make your own destiny, slayer." He reached a hand out to touch her face. Gently, he stroked her cheek.

"Hey, I don't care if you're the real Dracula, buddy. If I don't get to touch the slayer, then no one gets to touch the slayer." Derek whacked the dark prince's hand away.

"You'll see what I mean." Suddenly, Dracula was transformed into a bat and he flew off into the rainy night.

Looking at Derek, Candace let out an exasperated sigh. "I think we're in some serious shit, here."

"You think?" Derek was just as confused as she was, if not more.

"Oh, dammit!" The slayer stomped her foot down in a puddle. "I forgot my keys on the coffee table again. We need to get to your house and hope that Andrew is still there. He said something about taking Casey out to eat." She grabbed his arm and dragged him off towards their neighborhood.

Walking past her house, Candace noticed that it was in darkness. That meant that Andrew was not at home. Taking the twenty or so steps it took to get to Derek's house, they noticed that his house was also in darkness. "Let me guess. No one home here, either."

Turning his key in the door, Derek flicked on a light in the living room. Tossing his keys onto the table beside the door, he saw a note there. It was scribbled in that girly, bubbly handwriting. It was obviously written by Casey.

_Candace (I addressed this to you because I'm still not sure if Derek can read.), _

_ Andrew and I went out to eat. We should be home soon. My mom and George took Lizzie, Edwin and Marti out for pizza. Sorry I had to leave you with my dumbass step-brother. _

_ Sincerely, _

_Casey _

Crumpling the note into a little ball, Derek tossed it onto the floor. "That was from Casey. It was addressed to you because she is still not sure if I can read. Obviously, no one else is here. Like we needed a note to tell us that." He took his jacket off and hung it on a hook.

"I have a problem." Candace tried to run a hand through her wet hair. "I'm soaking wet. I don't have a key to my house and I have no clothes to change into."

"Follow me." He kicked off his shoes. She did as well. Leading her up to the bathroom, he grabbed them each a towel.

"Oh boy." She ran the towel through her hair. "I still have nothing to wear."

"I don't have a problem with that." Derek peeled his wet shirt off.

"Bite me." Candace glared at him. She couldn't help but notice his well-defined muscles from playing hockey.

"Don't tempt me." He winked at her and smirked as he walked out of the bathroom and into his own room. "Just take some of Casey's clothes if you're that desperate." He called behind him.

She was right on his heels and followed him into his room. "In case you haven't noticed, Casey and I are two different body types. Her pants would be way too long on me. Plus, I don't think I could fit my fat ass into her pants. And, then there's the top half of me. And, you can't pretend like you've never stared at it. So, you know what I'm talking about. And, Casey's clothes kinda suck. I'm more of a rocker chick and not preppy prissy pants." She put her hands on her hips.

"Do you want to watch me change or something? You know I have no shame." Derek unfastened his jeans and stepped out of them. He was standing in front of her in his boxers and she still wasn't leaving. "And, yes, I have noticed that you and Casey are two very different body types. Actually, I've only noticed that you're shorter than her. But, then again, you're pretty much shorter than everyone. See, I don't check out my step-sister. That's wrong and twisted. You do not have a fat ass. You have a very nice ass. You have a very nice everything. Now, stop complaining. You should probably get out of my room before things too intense for you." He stepped closer to her.

"Too intense for me?" Candace pulled off her jacket and threw it to the floor. "What? You think because you're Derek Venturi that you're too intense for me?" She inched closer to him. "I'm stronger than you. You could never handle me." She was laying on the Boston accent very thick now. Rage coursed through her veins and she didn't even know why or what had set it off.

"I take blows from guys ten times your size in hockey games." He was now towering over her. "So, bring it on any time you're ready."

"You're going to regret that." She stood on tip toes and got in his face. "They may be ten times bigger than me but I'm ten times stronger than all of them put together." Pressing a finger to his chest, she narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't think you could keep up with me."

Derek grabbed the slayer's hand. "You're all talk." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I'd like to actually see you take action." His lips almost touched hers. "Because you may dress the part of the rocker chick but, you act the part of preppy prissy pants."

Candace could not contain her rage much longer. "Challenging me?" Wrapping her free arm around his neck, she pulled him closer and their lips crashed with a mighty force. With her foot, she kicked the door behind her closed.

A flash of lightning lit up the room as his tongue invaded her mouth. Derek was never one to hold back with girls. He was not about to start now, especially with the one girl he's been longing after more than any other girl before. Letting his hands wander up the back of her sopping wet shirt, he felt the warmth of her skin. "You need to get out of these wet clothes before you get sick." He said between kisses as he pulled her shirt over her head. To his surprise, she didn't stop him. It was almost as if she could not stop touching him. He could not stop touching her either. Slowly and cautiously, he reached down to unfasten her drenched jeans. When she didn't stop him, he helped her step out of them.

Candace was throwing all caution out the window. She felt the sting of the cool air hit her almost nude body. Everything was blurring around her. All she wanted at that moment was Derek. Whether it was the anger and rage or the stress of meeting Dracula or just pure passion and lust, she didn't know. She just knew what she wanted and she was determined to get it.

Another flash of lightning and she pressed her body to his. Using her weight and strength, mostly her strength because she didn't weigh all that much, she forced him to move back towards his bed. Together, they hit the bed, tangled up in a passionate kiss.

Downstairs, the front door opened. Casey shook out her umbrella and closed it before stepping inside with Andrew. "Derek! Candace! We're back!" She called up the stairs.


	6. A Little Help

With the sound of Casey's voice, Candace instinctively pulled away from Derek. "Shit." She muttered as she got off of him. Standing up, she fumbled around trying to pick up her wet t-shirt and jeans.

"Damn you, Casey." Derek stood up and frantically went over to his bureau. He pulled out a t-shirt and a pair of sweat pants and threw them at the slayer. "Put these on." Grabbing some clothes for himself, they both quickly got dressed.

Just as Candace put her hand on the doorknob to open the door, it flew open and Casey and Andrew stood there. "Uh, hey guys." She said sheepishly. Derek kicked their wet clothes under his bed.

"Get caught in the rain?" Casey asked.

"Obviously." Candace replied.

"So, anything interesting happen tonight?" Andrew asked.

"No, nothing interesting." Derek looked at the watcher. For some reason he felt as if Andrew could tell he was lying.

"Yeah, nothing interesting if you count meeting The Count as nothing interesting." Candace muttered, shoving her way out of the room.

"The Count?" Casey asked.

"As in Dracula?" Andrew looked at the slayer as she made her way down the stairs.

"The one and only." Derek shrugged as he followed her. "Not all that impressive if you ask me."

"Did he do anything to you guys?" Andrew asked, following them.

"No." Candace sat on the couch.

"Yeah, he did!" Derek plopped down in his chair and reclined it. "He touched Candace's face!"

"Yeah, but it's not like he tried to fight you right, Candace?" Casey sat next to her friend on the couch.

"No fighting." The slayer let her arm fall over the arm of the couch. "I'm kind of disappointed actually. I mean, I meet probably the most famous vampire ever and that wasn't event he scariest part of my night."

"There was something scarier?" Andrew sat next to Casey, gently putting an arm around her shoulders.

"Derek, what did you do to her?" Casey shot a look at her step-brother.

"Why is it that every time there's something wrong with someone, you blame it on me?" He glared back. As she looked away from him, he discreetly let his arm fall over the arm of the chair. Still making sure no one else was looking, he laced his fingers with Candace's. She didn't pull her hand away. She felt her hand tingle but she let him hold it.

"Is anyone going to tell me what this scary thing was?" Andrew asked.

"Geese." Candace muttered, barely audible.

"What?" Casey asked.

"She said geese." Derek smirked. "She's terrified of them. She had to hide behind me because she thought they'd eat her or something."

"I didn't think they'd eat me." The slayer yanked her hand away from Derek's grasp. "But, they could bite me or peck my eyes out or something. Look, let's just talk about Dracula. He's less scary."

"You need to watch yourself around him." Andrew pointed out. "He can put people under his thrall with just a look."

"Could he make someone do something by touching them?" Candace asked.

"It's possible." The watcher replied. "I'll have to give Giles a call and see if he still has his research on Dracula. Why? Did you do something you wouldn't normally do after he touched you?"

"No." She immediately shook her head. "But, I just felt strange after he touched me."

"It might just be that he's a creepy vampire." Casey pointed out.

"Not so much." Candace looked at her friend. "He's kind of… sexy."

Everyone just stared at the slayer. "You could be under his thrall." Andrew said to her.

"I don't think so." Derek took the slayer's hand again. "Anyone who is immune to my thrall can't fall under anything's thrall."

"You are so full of yourself." Casey spat.

"Although, maybe she's softening up to me." Derek ignored his step-sister.

"Hardly." Candace yanked her hand away again.

It was perfect timing for the slayer to stop holding hands with Derek. The front door opened and the rest of the Venturi/MacDonald clan entered the house. Well, everyone except for Edwin. "Hey guys." Nora greeted the four in the living room.

"Smerek!" Marti ran and jumped onto Derek's lap.

"So, Marti, who makes a prettier girl, Derek or Andrew?" Candace grinned as she asked the little girl.

"Hey!" Derek glared at her. "I told you not to bring that up."

"It's a tie." Marti smiled. "They are both very pretty girls."

"Where is Edwin?" Casey wondered.

"He's in the car." Lizzie replied. "He dropped Derek's PSP and he's trying to fix it before Derek finds out. Oops." She shrugged.

"What?" Derek immediately shooed Marti off of his lap and got out of his chair. "I told him not to touch my stuff."

"Derek, calm down." George instructed his son. "Because we have to talk about your detention today."

"Yeah, Derek, why did you get detention today?" Casey asked.

"Andrew, I think we need to be heading home now." Candace stood up, forgetting about the pile of wet clothes under Derek's bed that belonged to her. She also left her messenger bag behind

"Oh, yeah, home." Andrew nodded and got up as well. "I'll see you later, Casey." He kissed her on the cheek.

The watcher and slayer rushed out the door. Candace noticed Edwin sitting in the back of the car, frantically trying to fix Derek's PSP. "Hey, Andrew, you go on ahead. I'm going to see if I can help Edwin out."

"Ok, I'll see you in a little while." Andrew nodded. "I have to go make a few phone calls anyway." He walked the two houses down and went inside.

Opening the car door, Candace took a seat next to the dark haired Edwin. "Broke Derek's PSP?" She took it from him. "Don't worry. You're dad's busy reaming him out for getting detention so it should be awhile."

Edwin blushed. He was almost as smitten with the slayer as his older brother was. "He's going to kill me if I don't fix it."

"Let me try something." She gently tapped the portable game system with her palm. Edwin watched in almost horror. He thought she was going to make things worse. Then, she turned it on and handed it to him. "There you go. All fixed."

"How did you do that?" The twelve-year old's eyes went wide. 

"I've been doing that to my broken electronics for years." She shrugged. "It's my last ditch effort. But, sometimes, all you need is a little push in the right direction."

"Thank you so much!" Edwin beamed. Without thinking, he threw his arms around her and hugged her. "You're amazing!"

Candace laughed and patted his back. "You Venturi boys sure love to compliment me."

The boy was now bright red and he pulled away from her. "Why are you wearing Derek's clothes?"

Looking down, the slayer realized she was still in Derek's sweat pants and t-shirt. "Oh, eh, we had to walk home in the rain and I forgot my keys on my coffee table again."

"So, why didn't you just borrow something of Casey's?" Edwin shrugged.

"She wasn't home." She said kind of quickly. "And, when you borrow things without asking then it's considered stealing. Plus, you know how Casey freaks when people touch her stuff."

He laughed. "That still doesn't keep me and Derek from reading her diary."

"I wouldn't do everything Derek does." Candace pointed out.

"So, did you fight any vampires today?" The boy asked.

"What?" She turned her head and stared at him.

"I told you I read Casey's diary." He replied. "That's how I know you're a vampire slayer."

"Ok, you can never tell anyone that." Candace gave him a look that said she meant business. "Derek and Casey know but you cannot tell anyone else. I'm supposed to keep it a secret."

"Hey, I'm not in the business of pouring out people's secrets." Edwin nodded. He gave her the same look that Derek did when he was being sincere.

She smiled and shook her head. "I believe you."

"Just like that?" He asked.

"Derek gives me the same look when he's being sincere." She put her hand on the car door to open it. "Just don't grow up to be too much like him. One Derek Venturi is more than enough sometimes."

"Do you like him?" Edwin asked. "As more than a friend?"

Candace shrugged and opened the door. "It depends on what day it is and if he's done anything to…" As she stepped out of the car, she looked up and saw a tall, dark figure standing in front of her. Edwin stepped out of the car as well. "Edwin, go in the house and get Derek. Tell him to bring out my messenger bag."

"What's going on?" The boy asked. "Who is this guy?"

"I am Count Dracula." The figure said with his thick Romanian accent.

"Really?" Edwin asked in awe. "That is so awesome! I didn't know he was real."


	7. Dracula Knows All

Candace looked back at the boy. "Edwin! I need you to go get Derek, now!"

"He knows you need him, slayer." Dracula smiled as he advanced towards her. "You see, you are connected to him. You can both sense when you need or want one another. Why do you think things got so intense between the two of you earlier in his room? The closer you grow, the harder it is to control your emotions."

"Shut up." The slayer glared at Dracula. "You have no idea what you are talking about." Looking back at Edwin, she said, "Get in the house before you get hurt."

"It's ok. You may leave us, boy." The Count said.

With those words, Edwin ran to the front door and just as he was about to open it, someone else did. "Edwin, get in the house." Derek instructed his brother and he did as he was told. Carrying two stakes, he sauntered over to the slayer and placed one in her hand.

"Your white knight has arrived, slayer." The Dark Prince smiled evilly. "What I told you is correct."

"You know, for a bad guy, you do an awful lot of talking and not very much of the fighting." Candace narrowed her eyes at him. "You scared of me, Vlad?"

"You cannot defeat me." The vampire told her. "I will fight you when the time is right."

"The time just feels right to me." She inhaled. "It stopped raining and you're beginning to become a royal pain in my ass. No pun intended with the whole royal thing." Stepping closer, she prepared for a battle.

Derek watched the slayer. _This is my favorite part. She gets all physical with the bad guy and it's just so… hot! _

Dracula shook his head. "I may not be able to put either one of you under my thrall because of your strong connection with one another but I can kill you. I can also make you feel your emotions ten times higher than normal."

"Enough with the chit chat already." Candace swung at the vampire. Just as her fist was about to make contact with his face, he turned into a wolf and ran off. "You have got to be kidding me! This is getting really annoying."

"What was he talking about?" Derek looked at her. "What does he mean he can make us feel our emotions ten times higher than normal?"

"How am I supposed to know?" The slayer shrugged. "He's cryptic. Maybe, Andrew has some insight but right now I just want to be in my nice, warm bed."

"Want me to walk you home?" He asked.

"No." She sighed. "I'm just going to get my stuff and go home. We'd end up in a limbo if you walked me home." He gave her a confused look. "You walk me home and then I feel like I should walk you home because the streets are dangerous with Dracula lurking. Then, you feel you should walk me home because it's a form of chivalry."

"Ok, so what am I supposed to tell Edwin about him?" Derek shrugged.

"He knows." Candace looked at him. "You're not the only one that reads Casey's diary. Oh, and go easy on the poor kid about your PSP because he fixed it. And, keep an eye on him to make sure he's not under Dracula's thrall." She turned to walk to her house and then stopped. "Can you get me my bag out of the house? Oh, and please dry my clothes for me." Any frustration and anger she had from the encounter with Dracula seemed to slip away. Now, she was calm and almost quiet.

"Yeah, sure." Derek went into the house and a few minutes later came out with her bag. She seemed to be distracted. "You ok?"

"Fine." She nodded as she took the bag and walked home.

That night, Candace, Derek and Edwin all had dreams about Dracula. All were terrible and scary. The Dark Prince had etched himself in the minds of those he came in contact with.


	8. Primeval Characteristics

The next day at school, Candace's distracted mood continued. The entire day, she made an effort to avoid everyone. She even decided to forgo her usual lunch with Derek and Sam to eat alone in the library while Andrew researched Dracula.

That night, she went out on patrol alone. Her entire patrol was based around the house or more correctly, mansion that Dracula was staying at. However, he failed to make an appearance. After two hours of nothing, she felt the need for a change. With that need, came her venture into the beauty salon. It seemed like forever but when she had left that salon, she felt like a new slayer.

Dracula plagued the slayer's dreams once again. But, when she woke up, she felt rejuvenated. And, that was only the beginning.

Arriving at school, a smirk spread across the face of a girl. Layered, red hair framed her face. Tight, black leather pants hugged her hips. A tight, dark purple midriff baring shirt accentuated her cleavage. Black, Dr. Marten's boots gave her an extra inch on her height. This new girl turned heads.

As she approached a locker, she quickly turned the combination. Another girl came up behind her. "Hey, what are you doing opening Candace's locker?" It was Casey MacDonald.

Turning around, the red head's eyes lit up. "Getting my books for classes that I may or may not attend."

"Candace?" Casey's jaw dropped. "You look… different."

"I felt the need for a change." The slayer shrugged and shut her locker.

"Right." The other girl nodded and handed the slayer a piece of paper. "I just wanted to give you the list of powers Dracula has. I helped Andrew research it last night. He said you should keep it on you that way you know what to avoid." She looked at her watch. "I have to go. Emily is waiting for me and we have to work on our project."

"Bye." Candace waved at her friend and shoved the paper into her pocket without looking at it.

"Bye." Casey said softly as she walked away.

Derek had his head in his locker, fishing for a lost notebook. Sam was talking to him and then stopped in mid sentence. "Wow." He gasped at the sight of a curvaceous red head walking in their direction.

"What?" Derek asked, his head still in his locker.

"There's a new girl in school." Sam told him. "And, she's very hot."

Looking up, Derek fixed his eyes on the girl. As she walked by them, she tucked the hair that was hanging in her face behind her ears. A familiar face appeared under that hair. At that moment, he went into complete shock. "That's no new girl. Sam, I have to go." Sam nodded in confusion and just let his best friend follow the girl.

Casually, she pushed the doors to the library open. "Andrew? Hey! Andrew? You here?" Looking up at the clock, she nodded. Andrew was still in the faculty lounge for their early morning meeting.

With a shrug, she wandered over to the weapons cabinet. After picking the lock, she swung open the doors and took out a large battle axe. Closing the cabinet, she turned around and was face to face with Derek. "What are you doing?" He asked almost breathless because of the slayer's new look.

"Got some problems to take care of." Candace looked at him.

"What's with the new look?"

"It's not just a look." She gripped the axe tightly. "It's a whole new attitude."

"Yeah, well, I never thought I'd say this but you may want to be a little more modest with the clothing choice." His eyes couldn't help but focus on her chest. "Because, guys have been staring."

"Like you are now?" She smiled. "Jealous, Venturi?" She pushed him out of her way and headed for the door. "Don't worry. Once I take care of my pesky Dracula problem, you'll have you chance to get your hands on this."

_She never calls me by my last name. Something's up. And, she would never say something like that. Even though it is very tempting. _"Wait." He grabbed her by the arm. "You can't just go walking around school with an axe in your hand. You could get expelled and put in jail. Plus, I thought Andrew wanted to do more research before you go rushing off to kill the Prince of Sesame Street."

"I'm not the type to wait around." She yanked her arm away from him. "You told me to act more the rocker chick and now I am." Dropping the axe, she walked out of the library. "Don't need the axe anyway. I'm a killing machine."

Derek followed the slayer. Walking down the hall, they passed Sheldon who just stared at the slayer. "Fine, but I'm going with you." He told her.

"Whatever. Keep up." Candace called back to him.

"Oh, the freak just got freakier." Kendra's voice called from down the hall.

Candace zeroed in on Kendra. Picking up her pace, she headed straight for the blonde. Without a second thought, she shoved Kendra into a wall. "I've taken way too much shit from you. It's time for you to pay for your lame ass comments." She made a fist. "You're just jealous because you've got some serious competition now." She got in Kendra's face. "Just so you know, I've gotten farther with Derek than you ever have or ever will."

"You psycho little bitch." Kendra spat. "You're not just a freak. You're a tramp, too."

"You're in no position to be talking like that to me." Candace raised her fist. Just as she was about to lay punch to Kendra's nose, someone grabbed her arm. Looking back, she saw Derek there. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping you from doing something you're going to regret." Derek wrapped an arm around her waist and dragged her away from his ex-girlfriend. Of course, she was not going to let him stop her without putting up a fight. Grabbing his hand, she squeezed it with all of her strength. It had hurt him but he was not going to let her go. "Forget Kendra. Come with me and I'll let you pummel Dracula."

"Dracula." A smile crossed the slayer's lips. "He's more of a challenge anyway. Let's go raid Andrew's arsenal and then head out through the tunnels under the library." She walked back towards the library.

"Right." Derek followed. As he passed Sheldon, he mouthed, "Get Andrew" to him. Sheldon nodded and went to find Andrew.

Candace strolled into the library and over to the weapons cabinet. Picking up a sword, she smiled. "Always wanted to sword fight." She said to herself.

"I think Andrew has this really cool sword in his office." Derek opened the office door. "He said it's really powerful and would be great for killing someone like Dracula." This was a complete lie of course. His plan was to lock her in the office and keep her there until Andrew showed up.

"Really?" She grinned and put the sword back. "I think I'd like to take a look at this sword." She walked over to the office and went inside. Looking around, she asked, "Where is it?" That's when she heard the door close and lock. Turning around, she saw Derek standing in front of the door. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Stopping you from possibly killing yourself by going off with some half baked notion to kill Dracula." He crossed his arms over his chest. "There's no sword in here."

Looking at the black nail polish on her fingernails, she said, "Are you looking to relive that day in the storage room? Because, this time I won't be so gentle."

"You can try to do whatever you want to me." Derek looked at her. "I am not letting you out of here until you lose the aggressive attitude."

"Don't give me ultimatums." Slowly, she advanced towards him. "You want a replay of the other night? That's fine. But, this time there will be no interruptions." As she approached him, she ran her hands up his chest. Seductively, she removed his leather jacket.

"Listen, I think that maybe, there's something wrong with you." He sputtered as he put his hands on her arms. "You could be under a spell or you're emotions may be in overdrive because of Dracula."

Putting a finger to his lips, she quieted him. "This time, I'm not doing this just to get out of the room." Without hesitation, she lowered her finger and replaced it with her lips. Deeply and aggressively she kissed him.

For what seemed like the first time in his life, Derek had to control himself with a girl. It took all of the willpower that he had in him but he had to do it. Before things could go too far, he pushed her away. Looking into her dark brown eyes, he said, "I can't do this. I want to kiss you and I love to kiss you but not under this circumstance. You are not yourself today. I don't know what has gotten into you. The thing is that I want to kiss you and I want you to kiss me back. I want it to be because that's what you want and not because you're under some kind of spell or something. I want it to be genuine."

Just as Candace was about to say something to retort, there was the sound of keys jingling outside the door. Then, the doorknob turned and Andrew opened the door. "Candace? You went back to your natural hair color?" He stared at the slayer.

"That's not the only change." Derek stepped aside so that Andrew could get a full view of her new look.

"What has brought on this change?" The watcher asked.

"Just felt like it." Candace shrugged.

"She's been acting differently, too." Derek pointed out. "Reckless, aggressive and kind of crazy."

Andrew went over to the slayer and stared into her eyes. "Dracula has tapped into her most primeval characteristics. Thankfully for us, it's easy to fix." Going over to his desk, he opened a drawer and pulled out a crystal. It was bright blue and shiny. Setting it on the desk, he looked at Derek. "We should leave her alone for a few moments." He ushered the teenager out of the room and then followed, locking the door behind them.

"Hey, open the freaking door!" Candace pounded on the door. "I'll break it down! When I get out of here, I'm going to make you both pay!" Suddenly, the crystal started glowing and it caught her attention. She stared at it, mesmerized by its glowing. Then, there was a flash and she was knocked to the floor.

As if on cue, Andrew unlocked the door and both he and Derek rushed inside. "I think it worked." He picked up the crystal and put it back in his desk.

Derek went over to Candace and helped her up. "You ok?"

"Kind of got a head rush but otherwise good." She answered as she stood up. "What happened?"

"That crystal knocked some sense into you." Andrew pointed out.

"Yeah, I was being kinda bitchy, huh?" Looking down, she noticed what she was wearing. "And, the Tramp of the Year Award goes to me. Do I have time to go home and change?"

"Sorry." Andrew shook his head.

"I can't be seen in these clothes!" Candace groaned. "They are so not me!"

"The whole school's seen you in those clothes." Derek pointed out. "Here." He handed her his jacket.

"Thanks." She put the jacket on.

The bell to get to class rang. "Well, you two better get going. You don't want to be late for class." Andrew shooed the two students out of his office.

"I have some major damage control to do." Candace sighed as she walked out of the library with Derek. "My hair's red again."

"I like it." Derek pointed out. "It brightens up your features."

"Thanks." She smiled. "I like it, too. I only dyed it black because I was always so depressed and it fit my mood." She looked at her feet as they walked down the hall. "I'm starting my damage control with you. Sorry I put you in such an awkward situation. But, you know, I'm very proud of you."

"You're proud of me?" He questioned.

"You stood up to me. You stopped me from hitting Kendra again." She explained. "And, when I forced myself on you, you pushed me away. I know that took a lot of willpower. And, well, what you said in there made me realize something."

"And that would be?"

"You really are a good guy." Candace told him. "And, you really care. There's a time in every girl's life when she realizes that she has to let her guard down. Not everyone is out to hurt you. You're not out to hurt me. What I'm trying to say is, I'm ready to be in a real boyfriend/girlfriend relationship with you, Derek."

"Really?" Derek asked with a smile on his face.

"Really." She smiled as she took his hand. "I want you to be my boyfriend."

At that moment, Derek Venturi blushed. "And, I want you to be my girlfriend."

"So, then its official." Candace nodded. "I'm you're girlfriend and you're my boyfriend."

"I've been dying to hear you say those words."

"Now, we just have to tell our friends." The slayer shrugged. "And, then we've got to figure out our Dracula problem."


	9. Exciting Discovery

"So which do you think is going to be more of a challenge?" He asked as they walked into English class.

"Not really sure on that." She smiled as they took their seats.

In English that day, they started reading Romeo and Juliet. Candace was a bit obsessed with Shakespeare so she had already read it and understood how to translate the play from Shakespearean English to modern English. She had made a promise to Derek that she would come over after school and show him how to understand Shakespeare.

At lunch, Candace took a seat across from Sam. Pulling a piece of paper out of the pocket of Derek's leather jacket, she stared at it. "So, that was you this morning?" Sam asked with a quizzical look.

Looking up from the piece of paper, she shrugged. "Long story."

"What are you looking at?" He questioned.

"This." She turned the paper towards him so he could read it. "Green Day and Fall Out Boy on tour together!"

"Good bands." Sam nodded.

"What's all the chatter about?" Derek asked as he took a seat next to his new girlfriend.

Candace grabbed the paper from Sam and shoved it at Derek. "In second period we went to the library to research Global Warming. Well, I get easily distracted on the computer. So many links, so little time. Look at this! Freaking Green Day on tour with freaking Fall Out Boy! They're coming to town next month."

"And you want to go." Derek nodded. "But, you need money for that kind of stuff. You don't have a job." _Neither do I but I know where to get the money. This could be the perfect birthday gift for her. _

"But, Andrew does." The slayer smiled. "So, I took the liberty of printing out a bunch of these and I left subtle hints around the library."

"Yeah, I just can't picture Andrew purchasing Green Day and Fall Out Boy tickets." Derek took a sip of water.

"But, Billie Joe Armstrong and Pete Wentz in one concert!" Candace said dreamily. "They are both so freaking hot!"

"Hey!" Derek turned to face her. "I'm the boyfriend here!"

"You're her boyfriend?" Sam asked.

"Another long story." Candace told him. "You know I think you're way hotter. Plus, it's not like I'd have a chance with them anyway." She wrapped her arm around Derek's torso.

"Just don't mention other guys you think are hot." Derek made a face.

"Got it." Candace shrugged.

The rest of lunch went on like normal. However, no one noticed a brown haired boy around the age of 12 watching Candace's every move. Dracula had told Edwin to spy on the slayer in his dreams. He also told the boy to make sure he was not seen by anyone. Noticing a fly next to him on the wall, Edwin smashed it with his hand and then stuck it in his mouth and ate it.


	10. He Wants Me

A/N: There's another new character at the end of this chapter and I do not own him! Please read to see who it is because I don't want to give it away.

* * *

After school, Candace made a quick stop at home to change. Back into a comfortable pair of jeans and a t-shirt that had Stewie from Family Guy on it she smiled. One of the books on her bookshelf caught her eye and she took it. The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare was bound to help with Derek's Shakespeare deprived situation. Also, she managed to find the notes she had on Shakespeare from her old school.

With a knock on the door, Derek answered it and let his girlfriend in. She was still wearing his leather jacket. "Got some stuff that may help you out." She shoved the books into his hands and took off the jacket, hanging it up.

"You know, the only other person here is Edwin and he knows better than to bother me when I have friends over." Derek smirked as he stared at the books.

"Good, then we can get some serious Shakespeare done." Candace smiled. "It's just so fascinating. Where shall this studying take place?"

"My room." Derek responded. "I don't want anyone to actually see me studying."

"Right." The slayer laughed as she headed up to his room and took a seat on his bed. She opened her copy of Romeo and Juliet.

"So, this thing is all romantic and stuff, right?" Derek raised an eyebrow as he sat opposite her and put the books in between them.

"Yeah." Candace shrugged. "But, that's not all. It's very tragic."

"It's a love story. How can it be tragic?" He smirked at her. "I mean, I kind of want us to be like them."

"No you don't." She looked up at him. "They die in the end."

"Well, that's just depressing." He shook his head. "And, they wonder why so many teenagers are depressed. They make us read stuff like this."

"It's actually a beautiful story." She opened her old notebook and showed it to him. "You're going to love me even more than you already do."

"And, why's that?" He asked.

"I already have every single page of that play translated into modern English. I've also got Hamlet which is my absolute favorite. And, A Midsummer's Night Dream. I also own that one on DVD." She rambled.

"Why are you nervous?" Derek took her hand.

"I'm not nervous." Candace squeezed his hand. "Ok, a little. I'm just not sure how we're going to tell our friends that we're dating. Because let's face it, Casey doesn't really approve of you. Emily still thinks you're hot. Andrew gets nervous about every single decision I make. I mean, he won't even let me drive in countries that aren't the United States. Ok, so I get why he wouldn't let me drive in England. Other side of the road and all but here, it's the same." She took a deep breath.

"Stop worrying." Derek leaned in close to her and kissed her on the lips.

After a few moments, they pulled apart. "Ok. Now, onto the Shakespeare." Candace looked at the first page of her book. Derek pouted. "Don't look at me like that. It's time for some serious Shakespeare studying."

"I can't believe I'm dating a nerd." He sighed.

"I am not a nerd!" She hit his arm playfully. "Ok, so maybe I'm a bit of a nerd. But, I have layers. This nerd could kick your ass." She smiled as he rubbed his arm. "And, I'm not big on the whole Math and Science scene. It's only English and History that excite me."

"No one should ever get excited by English and History." He pointed out.

"Whatever." She shrugged and looked at her book. "Let's just get this studying session started because I have to go on patrol later."

With a sigh, Derek nodded and they went on to study Shakespeare. The whole time, neither had noticed Edwin watching from the hall. After an hour of hardcore studying, Derek decided he had enough. "I need food." He stood up.

"Fine, five minute food break." Candace sighed.

"Five minutes?" He looked at her.

"Take as long as you want." She shook her head.

"Want anything?" He asked.

"I'm going to stay here and keep studying." She replied. "I love this stuff."

"Fine but don't whine to me when you're starved from reading Shakespeare." He stood up and went downstairs.

"Boys and their stomachs." She said to herself as she went back to the book. She was so into the book that she did not see Edwin come into the room. It wasn't until he was standing right next to her that she realized he was there. "Hey, Ed. What's up?"

"Master wants me to bring you to him." The twelve year old replied.

With that, Candace's eyes widened and she got to her feet. Grabbing Edwin by the arm, she ran out of the room and down the stairs. "Derek! Let's go!"

Derek practically dropped his sandwich. "Where are we going?" He noticed she had Edwin by the arm. "What did he do to you?"

"He's under Dracula's thrall." Candace looked at her boyfriend. "We have to go see Andrew." She ushered Edwin towards the door. Derek followed and the three set off towards the library. The whole time Candace kept a grip on Edwin so he wouldn't wander off.

In the library, Andrew was picking up the mess of Green Day/Fall Out Boy fliers that Candace had strewn over the library. Without looking at them, he threw them in the garbage and went to his Dracula research. He had his nose in a book when the library doors flew open and Candace, Derek and Edwin stormed in. "What's going on?" He asked as he looked up from his book.

"My brother has become Dracula's butt-monkey." Derek told the watcher.

"He's under Dracula's thrall." Candace said. "He called him Master and he's supposed to take me to him. Get your crystal."

"That crystal won't work on him." Andrew stood up and went over to the boy. "It's only good on you." He examined Edwin's eyes. "The only way to break him from Dracula's thrall is to get rid of Dracula."

"Then, I guess I have to get rid of Dracula." Candace went over to the weapons cabinet and opened it. She pulled out the sword and battle axe from earlier. "These should do the trick."

"You can't just go off and fight Dracula without any idea as to what he wants." Andrew stopped her.

"He wants me!" Candace glared at her watcher. She was getting angry and the Boston accent was making its presence known. "And, I'm not about to let him control poor Edwin! He's like a little brother to me! Now, either you let me go or I make you let me."

"I am not letting you go anywhere until we figure this out." The watcher said.

"Andrew, just so you know, from my experiences with her, it's best not to try to stop her." Derek pointed out.

"Master will get angry if I don't bring the slayer to him." Edwin said blankly.

"Tell your master not to worry because he's going to have his show down with this slayer." Candace pushed past Andrew.

"Hey guys! What's going on?" Casey asked as she entered the library with Emily and Sheldon.

"Edwin's under Dracula's thrall." Derek replied.

"And, I'm going to stop it." Candace stormed out of the library.

"Should someone stop her?" Emily asked.

"I'm going, I'm going." Derek shoved Edwin towards Casey. "Keep an eye on him." He followed the slayer. "Candace! Wait!" He caught up to her and grabbed her arm.

"You can't stop me." Candace turned to face him. "I'm sick of Dracula messing with us. My mind is made up."

Derek thought for a moment. "He could kill you. I don't want you to die." He looked into her brown eyes.

"I'm not going to die." The slayer said defiantly.

"You will if we don't prepare you properly." There was a voice with an English accent that came from behind her.

Candace slowly turned around and was now facing Rupert Giles, the head of the new Watcher's Council. He was also Buffy's watcher. If anyone knew how to defeat Dracula, it would be him since he was there when Buffy came face to face with the Dark Prince.


	11. The Big Plan

Recap:

Candace slowly turned around and was now facing Rupert Giles, the head of the new Watcher's Council. He was also Buffy's watcher. If anyone knew how to defeat Dracula, it would be him since he was there when Buffy came face to face with the Dark Prince.

* * *

"Giles?" Candace looked at the man in front of her. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping you out with this Dracula problem." The watcher replied. "Andrew called me and asked about what I could do to help you. The best way for me to help is to actually be here."

At that moment, Andrew came out of the library. "Good, Giles, you're here. Our gang is inside the library. Come on." He grabbed the slayer by the arm.

Giles, Candace and Derek followed Andrew into the library. "I just want to kill Dracula and get it over with." The slayer sighed as she took a seat at one of the tables.

"Everyone, I would like you to meet Rupert Giles." Andrew said. "He is like my Yoda. Giles, this is everyone. Casey, she's my girlfriend." He said proudly as he pointed to Casey. "Emily, Casey's best friend and neighbor." He pointed to Emily who waved at Giles. "Sheldon, Emily's boyfriend." He pointed to Sheldon. "Edwin, Casey's step-brother who is under Dracula's thrall." He pointed to the youngest boy. "And, this…" He stood next to Derek. "This is Derek. He's Casey's other step-brother and pretty much an all around pain in the ass. But, he is helpful when it comes to helping Candace fight the bad guys. He's a hockey player and violence is in his nature."

"Nice to meet you all." Giles nodded. "So, Andrew, we should probably do the spell tonight."

"What spell?" Candace asked.

"We need to put your primeval characteristics back into overdrive." Andrew said cautiously. "That's the best possible way for you to defeat Dracula."

"So, she's going to be acting like she did this morning?" Derek took a seat next to the slayer.

"That was a spell?" Emily asked. "Because I heard you almost pummeled Kendra into the ground."

"Actually, Dracula can mess with Candace and Derek's emotions but he can't put them under his thrall." Andrew explained.

"But, why is Derek so important?" Casey asked.

"He's part of the prophecy." Giles replied.

"I still don't get the prophecy." Sheldon said. "What is it exactly?"

"We're connected mentally and emotionally." Candace explained. "Basically, we can tell whenever we need or want one another. We are destined to do great things together. We can bring about the end of Dracula once and for all. I didn't get that at first but once he popped up in town, I figured it out."

"How did you know all that?" Andrew asked, giving her a look.

"You can't just say stuff about prophecies around me and not expect me to go looking them up." She told him. "You know me better than that."

"We have to do this spell tonight." Giles pointed out. "We are wasting valuable time."

"I'll get the crystal." Andrew said.

"Wait!" Candace sighed. "Don't I get a say in this? I don't really want to be Ms. Bitchy-Crazy-Girl."

"Once you defeat Dracula, you will return to your normal self." Giles assured her. "We need Casey and Emily's help. Sheldon keep an eye on Edwin and Derek you have to watch Candace and see when she changes."

"Why me?" Derek asked. "She's kinda scary when she's like that."

"Because, you're the one going with her." Andrew replied as he went into the office with a book and got the crystal. "Sheldon, you can keep Edwin in here." With a nod, Sheldon escorted Edwin into the office and closed the door behind them. "We'll go to the storage room." He waved for the others to follow him.

"Is this going to hurt?" Candace asked.

"Only Dracula." Andrew replied.

"Oh, before we do anything magically, can you buy me tickets to see Green Day and Fall Out Boy?" The slayer gave Andrew a sweet look.

"We'll talk about it later." Andrew sighed.

"I have an announcement!" She stated.

"Quit stalling." The watcher shook his head and with Giles, Emily and Casey in tow, he disappeared into the storage room.

With a sigh of defeat, Candace laid her head down on the table. "Yeah, well, it's not your personality that you're messing with." She mumbled.

"You'll be alright." Derek rubbed her back. "I'm here. And, you know, you're going to defeat Dracula once and for all."

Sitting up straight, Candace looked at the clock. "I wonder how long this will take."

"If you keep thinking about it, it's only going to make it take longer and you're only going to feel worse." Derek pointed out.

"You're not the one they're taking all the sanity from!" She glared at him. "What if they're wrong and I never come back from this as the regular me? What if Dracula kills me? I may not make it to see seventeen!" She stood up and started to pace around the room.

"You're stressing out now." He got up and stood in front of her. "You're going to be ok. I won't let anything happen to you. I love you too much to let Dracula hurt you." He looked into her eyes.

"You love me?" She asked. "Because, I kinda think I love you too. It all seems so fast but I think I loved you the first day that I met you. And, that seems crazy but it's true."

"Stop rambling." Derek laughed as he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. As they kissed, the glow of a bright blue light emanated from Candace's body. Her Stewie t-shirt turned into a red and black corset top and her jeans turned into a pair of tight, red, leather pants. Her Chuck Taylor sneakers were transformed into a pair of combat boots. Aggressively, she deepened the kiss and pushed him back towards a table.

Instinctively, Derek knew that the spell had worked. He pushed her away but she pushed back. He was no match for her slayer strength. As she turned them around, she forced him against a bookshelf and attacked his lips. In the back of his mind, Derek knew this was wrong. She wasn't herself. But, he could justify his actions because she was his girlfriend now. Placing a hand on her thigh, he pulled her closer.

At that moment, the door to the storage room opened and Emily, Casey, Andrew and Giles stepped out. At the sight of her step-brother once again, kissing her new friend in the library, Casey freaked out. "Derek!"


	12. Unexpected Turn of Events

Candace and Derek pulled apart from their kiss. With a grin on her face, the slayer turned to face her friend. "Stop whining, MacDonald."

"I take it the spell worked." Emily pointed out.

"I can't believe you, Derek." Casey glared at him. "She's under a spell and you're just going along with what she does. You're taking advantage of her."

"She instigated it." Derek snapped.

"Who are you to come in and say anything about me kissing my boyfriend?" The slayer crossed her arms over her chest.

"Your boyfriend?" Emily and Casey asked at the same time.

"Oh, yeah, that's right, I didn't tell you before because I was too busy worrying about shit I don't really care about anymore." Candace eyed the other two girls.

Suddenly, there came a yelp from Andrew's office and Edwin ran out. He was followed by Sheldon who had his hand over his groin. "He just kneed me in the…"

Edwin ran up to Candace. "I must take you to Master now."

"I know where he is." The slayer told the boy. "You will not be taking me to him. I will be going to him on my own." With a shrug, she picked up the battle axe and walked out of the library.

Andrew grabbed Edwin by the arm and sat him down in a chair. "She's right, you should stay here."

"But, you need to follow her." Giles handed a sword to Derek. "No matter how much she refuses your help, you have to stay by her side."

Taking the sword, Derek ran out of the library hot on the slayer's trail. "Hey, wait for me!" He called to her.

Ignoring him, the slayer walked out of the school and towards Dracula's mansion. Derek caught up to her and fell in step with her. "Don't try stopping me. This ends tonight."

"I'm not going to stop you." Derek assured her. "I'm going to help you."

"Watch out for the three sisters." She warned him. "They're his brides but they can tempt you with flesh. I know how you like flesh of the female kind."

"I'm not so easily tempted." He protested.

"Whatever." She sighed as they reached the front gates to Dracula's place. "Time to face your biggest fear, Vlad." She pushed open the gates and strolled up the front walkway.

As the pair entered Dracula's mansion, Derek let out a gasp of astonishment. "This place is awesome."

"He likes nice things." Candace wandered down a long hall. It was as if Dracula was calling her name.

Derek followed the slayer. Suddenly, there was a pair of hands that grabbed him by the back of the shirt with a giggle. As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Candace turned around and found Derek surrounded by the three sisters. The primal force of rage coursed through her veins. She was struck by a feeling of jealousy when she saw the sisters put their hands all over her boyfriend. That jealousy just made her feel even angrier. Grabbing a torch from the wall (yes, Dracula still had not taken the leap into the 21st century), she ran at the three vampires. "Hands off. He's my boyfriend."

The three vampires giggled and cooed over Derek. They took turns placing kisses all over his face and neck. Just as one of the girls was about to kiss Derek on the lips, an axe came across her neck, decapitating her. She turned to dust. "That was really close." Derek looked at Candace.

The other two sisters were terrified and were about to run off. Candace had other plans for them. Using her torch like a stake, she thrust it through one and then the other vampire. Engulfed in flames, they turned to dust. Without a word, she continued down the hall, followed by Derek.

A pair of black doors sat at the end of the hall. Beyond those doors, Dracula waited. Candace could sense him. Derek could sense what Candace sensed. Looking at one another, they both nodded. Kicking open the doors, they saw him standing there. But, Dracula was not alone. There was someone with him. Someone familiar. Someone thought to be dead or at least sucked into the Hellmouth. At Dracula's side, stood Drusilla.


	13. Fighter Times Two

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update but I had major writer's block

* * *

"I thought you killed her." Derek looked at Candace.

The slayer rolled her eyes. "I didn't kill her. I just pushed her into the Hellmouth." She took a battle stance. "You picked the wrong day to come back." With the battle axe in hand, she ran at Drusilla.

Derek grabbed Candace by the arm. "Shouldn't you maybe take out the guy in charge first? It'll weaken Dru, I bet."

She gave him a confused look. "Since when did you become all Andrew-like?"

"Since you became the more reckless one in this relationship." He shrugged and let go of her arm.

With a smile, Candace blew him a kiss and went for Dracula. "You get Dru. I'll get Vlad."

Derek nodded. He knew he could take on Dru since he was feeling everything that Candace felt. She was confident in him. It was not very often that someone was confident of Derek Venturi. But, even in her altered state, Candace was sure of him.

"I see you have changed your look, slayer." Dracula said in his Romanian accent.

"New look, new attitude and a shiny new toy." Candace smiled sweetly. "All the better to kill you with."

Quicker than a flash of lightning, Candace swung the axe in Dracula's direction. With a smug grin, the vampire jumped back. "You need to be faster than that, Candy."

That last word sent Candace into overdrive. There was one thing in the world she hated more than vampires and that was being called Candy. "Don't ever call me Candy. The name's Candace." Dropping the axe, she balled her hands into fists and started pummeling Dracula with all of her might. Kicks, punches and combinations of kicks and punches bombarded Dracula.

Derek was feeling the same rage that the slayer felt. With his sword, he attacked Dru with the force of a fighter and not a hockey player. This was not just some game. This was life and death. He planned on living.

Candace had Dracula in a corner. He laughed maniacally at her. "You have no weapons."

Grabbing the dark prince by the collar of his shirt, the slayer grinned. "I am the weapon." With her other hand, she took a torch off of the wall. "You should really think about going electric." Then without anymore words, she shoved the flamed end of the torch into Dracula's heart. The vampire burst into flames. The fire spread to the curtains and tapestry.

Derek was too busy fighting Dru to be concerned with the blazing fire that was spreading around him. Looking over at him, Candace knew they had to get out of there fast. She snapped out of her altered state and worry swept over her. Then, she spotted her axe. She ran over to the axe and picked it up. Rushing to Derek's side, she threw the axe perfectly and it hit Dru in the chest. The vampire staggered back and the slayer grabbed her boyfriend by the hand. "Let's get out of here before we burn with the curtains."

Hand in hand, Derek and Candace made their way out of the burning mansion. Standing on the sidewalk across the street, they watched the mansion burn. "Did we kill them?" Derek finally asked.

"I sure hope so because I really don't feel like doing that again anytime soon." Candace smiled and looked at him. "You're the best boyfriend ever." She pulled him into a hug. "I don't know anyone else who would put their life on the line like that just to help me."

"Well, you did say that we're destined to do great things together." Derek pointed out as he hugged her back.

Pulling away, she shook her head. "Not me. The prophecy said that. But, I definitely believe it." Looking at what she was wearing, she made a face. "Let's get back to the library so I can yell at Andrew for making me go all slutty." She laughed.

Together the vampire slayer and her boyfriend walked back to the library. They were both completely satisfied with what had happened. And, they knew they were always going to be there for one another.

* * *

A/N: There will be more. This fic is not done yet! I just had to wrap this chapter up like that. 


	14. Lessons Learned

Walking into the library, Candace was bombarded with questions. Everyone wanted to know if she had killed Dracula and how. Holding up a hand, she walked over to Edwin and examined him. "Are you alright, Ed?" She asked him with a smile.

"I think so." Edwin nodded and then turned bright red when he realized that her hand was on his shoulder.

"Good." Candace straightened up. "Yeah, you all wanna know what happened." She looked around the room. "Well, I wanna put on some clothes that are a little more, um, clothes."

"She's back to her old self." Andrew nodded.

"I can tell." Giles smiled.

"That means she won't be kissing Derek anymore." Casey said with a sigh of relief.

"Actually…" Candace looked at her friend. "We're dating now." She walked over to Derek and put her arm around him.

"We're more than just dating." Derek wrapped an arm around her waist. "We're in a serious, steady relationship."

"It's about time." Sheldon spoke up. Everyone just looked at him. "You were all thinking it and I just said it. Those two have been dancing around each other since they first met."

Emily nodded. "He does have a point."

"Can we all just focus on the situation with Dracula?" Giles asked the group.

"It wasn't just Dracula." Candace pointed out. "Dru was there too."

"What?" Andrew looked at his slayer. "How did she get out of the Hellmouth?"

"I didn't really think to ask her." Candace replied. "I was too busy fighting Dracula and helping in the world saving department."

"Helping?" Casey asked. "Don't you always just save the world period?"

The slayer shrugged. "I couldn't have done it without Derek. He fought Dru and kept her at bay while I went after Dracula."

"Yeah, I saved the world too." Derek glared at Casey.

"Don't let it go to your head." Casey spat. "And, don't you break Candace's heart."

Candace smiled. "He won't because if he does, I'll break his face."

The group couldn't help but laugh. Candace went on to explain everything that happened in Dracula's mansion. By the time she had finished her story, it was getting late and they all decided to head home and get some sleep. Giles stayed with Candace and Andrew but went right to bed when he got to the house. Candace decided to have a talk with Andrew about the whole situation with Drusilla killing her parents. After finally getting that talk out of the way, they both felt relieved and went to bed.

On her birthday, Candace woke up early to get her training out of the way. Giles had already gone back to England but left her a card that was signed by everyone at the Watcher's Council. Andrew surprised her with a pair of brand new sneakers. They were black and pink, one of Candace's favorite color combinations. Then, he promised her that he would not bring up her birthday anymore and he didn't. Casey had told him that she wanted to go out with him that night so he spent the rest of the day trying to figure out what to wear.

Just as she was about to sit down and watch some cartoons, the doorbell rang. Tossing the remote on the couch, Candace went over to the door and answered it. Standing there with his hands behind his back was Derek. She looked at him. "I thought we weren't going to do the movie thing till tonight." She inquired as she let him in the house.

"Casey kicked everyone out of the house." Derek shrugged.

"She must be planning something big with Andrew." She nodded. "You can hang out here until later."

"I can't wait." He handed her an envelope. "I know you said you don't like celebrating but I think you'll like this."

The slayer eyed the envelope. "Looks like just a card and I told you I don't mind that." She opened the envelope and saw that he had gotten her a Harry Potter card. "Love the card."

"Open it." He pressed.

Opening the card, Candace's eyes widened and she grinned. Inside was a pair of tickets to see Green Day and Fall Out Boy. Then, there was a squeal as Candace wrapped her arms tightly around Derek. "This is the best birthday ever! Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She kissed him passionately.

Andrew came rushing down the stairs when he heard Candace squeal. "What's going on?" He asked as his eyes found the couple kissing in the living room.

Candace pulled away from Derek. "I just got tickets to go see Green Day and Fall Out Boy from the best boyfriend ever!" She waved the tickets around.

The watcher just nodded and looked at the couple. A smile spread across his face when he realized that his slayer was happy. "Why are you smiling?" Derek asked.

"I'm just happy for Candace." Andrew replied and then went back upstairs.

"Did that creep you out?" Derek looked at Candace.

The slayer smiled. "Not at all. He realizes that I'm happier than I've been since he's first met me. And, you're the reason why I'm so happy."

Derek studied her for a moment. He knew that her past was not very pleasant and hearing her say those words made him feel good about himself. "No one has ever said anything like that about me before." He pulled her into a hug.

Candace hugged him back and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I haven't felt this good on my birthday in a long time. But, enough with the sappy stuff because you already know that." There was a sparkle in her eye. "Let's go pick out some movies for later." Taking his hand, she led him over to the entertainment center and opened the cabinet doors.

Derek looked in awe at the massive collection of movies that she owned. "You really are movie obsessed, aren't you?"

"Well, some are Andrew's." She searched through one of the cabinets. "You know, all the geeky ones belong to him." She pulled out the movie she was looking for. "We so have to watch this because you haven't seen it and you need to." Holding up her copy of Talladega Nights, she handed it to him. "And… this!" She pulled out a DVD case and hugged it to her. "My favorite movie of all time!"

"The Notebook?" Derek asked. "Because now that we're dating, I need to tell you, that's really not my type of movie."

"Not the Notebook." She shook her head and grinned. "Newsies!" She showed him the cover of the movie. "It's about kids who fight for what they believe in. It's very inspiring. You'll like it." She failed to mention that it was a musical with lots of attractive guys dancing and singing.

Andrew came rushing down the stairs. "I've got to go meet Casey for our date."

"I hope she doesn't think this date will take place at my house." Derek pointed out. "Because we've got plans. We better get over there now before Casey decides that she's going to have a romantic dinner with your water boy in my house." He winked at Candace.

"Water boy?" Andrew raised an eyebrow.

"Don't ask." Candace laughed. "Come on, Derek. I'm excited for these movies." She went over to the front door and Derek followed. They were also followed by Andrew.

As the three approached Derek's house, they noticed that it was dark. "Maybe, you've got the wrong house." He teased Andrew.

Derek opened the door and as soon as he did the lights went on. His entire family along with Emily and Sheldon all jumped out from hiding places and yelled "Surprise Candace!"

Candace just turned pale and let go of Derek's hand. "I had nothing to do with this." He told her.

"Wow. Derek you're actually not taking credit for this." Casey looked confused.

"If you bothered to check with her then you would know that she has issues with celebrating her birthday." Derek glared at Casey.

"Well, she's your girlfriend!" Casey spat. "Maybe, you should have mentioned this to me!"

"Stop fighting!" Candace finally spoke up. Andrew put a hand on her shoulder. "It's ok, Andrew. I think I'm ready to start celebrating birthdays again." Then, she smiled. "Thanks guys. This is such a sweet gesture."

It was at that moment when Andrew realized that his slayer was growing up. Candace realized that she shouldn't dwell on the past and make the best of the present. Casey and Emily learned a lesson in checking on their friends' preferences before going ahead with plans. Derek learned that Newsies was actually a musical and refused to watch it. Then, Candace threatened to beat him up and they watched it. Even though he did not care for the movie, he liked watching it with Candace because it made her happy. That was his lesson learned. It didn't matter what they did together as long as they were together. And, in the future they would probably be fighting demons together but that was alright with both of them.


End file.
